Southern Vietnam Family Adventure - 10 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, Family-Friendly Activities

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest metropolis. A guide and driver will meet you at the airport for a transfer to your hotel. After some time to rest and refresh, get out into the city to explore the sights by cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi). Stop at the Ben Thanh Market, where you can try local street food like steaming bowls of pho (noodle soup) and bun cha (Vietnamese meatballs), and shop for souvenirs. If the youngsters aren't too tired after the flight, continue to the Artinus 3D Art Museum, where they'll have fun taking pictures with the 3D art objects.

Day 2: Family Trip to the Mekong Delta

Today you'll get a deep immersion into local life in the Mekong Delta at a relaxed pace and with plenty of family-friendly activities. You'll be picked up in the morning and transferred to Ben Tre. On arrival at the Hung Vuong Pier, board the boat and set off into the Ben Tre River, one of the tributaries of the Mekong River. As you cruise through mangrove forests, your kids will be fascinated by the lively activities they'll see, such as fishing and the coconut cargo boats that carry goods on the river.

Stop at a traditional brickworks to see how bricks are made by hand. Then continue by boat to My Long village, where you can walk to the hamlet to watch rice paper being made and eat some rice cakes. Continuing to Cai Son Canal, wind through the coconut palm-filled jungle and visit a coconut workshop to see how coconuts are processed. Travel down a small waterway and stop at a bee farm to try some fruit and honey tea and listen to local music. Kids won't want to miss a visit to the candy workshop, too.

End with a cycle or tuk-tuk tour (depending on ages and energy levels) through coconut groves and vegetable farms. Hop in a row boat for a paddle down a shady canal, and stop for lunch at a riverside restaurant. In the afternoon, a motorboat will be waiting to return you to Hung Vuong Pier for a transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 3: Fly to Da Lat, Free Time

Say goodbye to Ho Chi Minh City for now as you transfer from your hotel to the airport to catch a domestic flight to Da Lat, a city in southern Vietnam's Central Highlands. Because of its altitude (4,921 ft /1,500 m), it enjoys a cooler climate than lowland and coastal areas. 

After checking into your hotel, enjoy some free time in Da Lat. You could walk along picturesque Xuan Huong Lake, where you can take a swan boat ride. Another option is to visit a strawberry garden (the town is famous for the tasty fruit), where you can buy fresh berries or let kids loose in the fields to pick their own. In the evening, visit the night market, right in the city center. Here you can try local street food specialties, buy souvenirs, and watch street performances with your children.

Day 4: Da Lat City & Nature Tour

Get to know Da Lat better with a day full of laid-back explorations and family fun. Start at Xuan Huong Lake, then stop to visit the old Da Lat Railway Station, where the evidence of the French colonial era can still be seen. Kids will love getting close to the old-fashioned locomotives powered by steam and a cog railroad. Continue to Bao Dai's Summer Palace, where the last emperor of Vietnam ruled from 1949 to 1954. The next attraction is the Crazy House. This building's architecture has to be seen to be believed—all ages will feel like they've stepped into a scene from "Alice in Wonderland." 

After a break for lunch at a local restaurant, you'll head to the stunning Datanla Waterfall, surrounded by primeval jungle. Continue the tour along quiet, romantic streets to Tuyen Lam Lake, and visit the nearby Truc Lam Zen Monastery, the largest Zen university in Vietnam. Enjoy pastoral views of flower and vegetable fields en route to reaching your last stop of the day at Robin Hill, which sits at an altitude of 5,544 feet (1,690 m) and offers a perfect spot to take in a sunset panorama of the town below. 

Day 5: Transfer to Nha Trang

Leave the cooler climate of the hills behind today and head three hours down to the coast to Nha Trang, a resort known for its sandy beaches and world-class diving. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure, so you can choose to be as active or relaxed as your family needs.

In the evening, embark on a fun, private tour by cyclo. Cyclos are an authentic way to explore Vietnamese cities and are especially fun for kids (not to mention relaxing for their parents!) Start off at Tran Phu Street, the longest and most beautiful seaside street in Nha Trang. Stop for dinner at a local restaurant beside the sea. After dinner, visit some of the busiest streets of Nha Trang, known as the "foreign streets," which have many shops, bars, and restaurants. Do some shopping and enjoy the lively ambiance until the kids are ready for bed.

Day 7: Free Time in Nha Trang

Enjoy a free day in Nha Trang, exploring its stunning beaches at your own pace. You can spend your time relaxing on the beach or get out and about a bit more, depending on your energy levels and age. One great activity is taking a cable car to the amusement and water park on Vinpearl Island, a favorite among adventurous kids. Alternatively, drive to the hot springs to relax at the spa and have a mud bath while your children have fun at the on-site swimming pool.

Day 8: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Evening Cultural Show

It's time to leave the beaches of Nha Trang behind and head back south to Ho Chi Minh City by air (about a one-hour flight). Upon arrival, transfer to your accommodation and enjoy some downtime this afternoon as you rest up for a fun evening activity ahead.

As night falls, catch a performance of the A O Show, a unique mix of bamboo circus, acrobatics, contemporary dance, Vietnamese music, and theatrical visual art. The show is in the iconic Saigon Opera House, built by the French in 1898. Performers use a variety of props, such as woven baskets, to depict the transition from rural to modern-day Vietnamese life and introduce all ages to Vietnamese history and culture in a fun and entertaining way.

Day 10: Depart Ho Chi Minh City

All good things must come to an end, and today it's time to say goodbye to Vietnam. Depending on your time of departure, you may have time to do some last-minute souvenir shopping before you're transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Safe travels!

Looking for more inspiration for your family trip to Vietnam? Check out these other Vietnam itineraries, explore different ways to spend 10 days in Vietnam with your family, or discover the best time to visit Vietnam.